By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — One by one, each company told its story Monday evening at the NBA’s annual “Launchpad” forum where five inventive, entrepreneurial and tech-savvy companies all showed why they were picked by the National Basketball Association to receive business support.

It’s the fourth year of the NBA Launchpad, which showcases five companies that were selected from hundreds of applicants as the Association uses the program as a technology start-up incubator for these earnest companies to work on NBA-related issues in a cutting-edge, innovative way.

This year’s NBA five-member Launchpad class was quite impressive, with these tech companies so strong that they could easily be top presenters at the massive CES event held in Las Vegas every January.

There was Seattle-based One Court, which gave blind or low-vision fans real-time, play-by-play access to an NBA game through the touch of their fingers on a device given to them at games. More than a dozen cameras at an NBA game help track the basketball and action for the One Court device users.

In fact, the One Court device will be deployed at Tuesday’s NBA Summer League, where all 30 teams are here in Las Vegas giving their young players and rookies a chance to show their skills in exhibition games at Thomas & Mack Center July 10-20.

“Smart” basketball technology was on display with SportIQ (SIQ), which conducts its business and R&D in Las Angeles and Helsinki, Finland.

SportIQ has a “smart valve” in official NBA and WNBA basketballs that can detect who last touched the ball before it goes out of bounds. That alone should shorten games by avoiding the dreaded replay reviews.

Somnee from Berkeley, California showed a room filled with investors, NBA staffers, company workers and fans its diagnostic and therapeutic headband that helps users get to sleep faster, enjoy longer sleeps and feel better after the sleeps. That’s a product that can be used outside the basketball court as well.

Trashie is a company that motivates fans and anyone else who has too much stuff to buy “Take Back Bags” for $20 each and recycle their clothing and textiled materials in exchange for rewards. Trashie is even rolling out a $68 per year membership. The NBA can score big by having its teams also recycle their items through New York-based Trashie.

The NBA featured Trashie in TV ad spots during its playoff games this past season. Trashie customers receive TrashieCash rewards for online shopping, and the Trashie owners hinted recyling electronics could be next.

VReps founder/CEO Shawn Cooper explained his company’s 3D teaching platform, showing how kids can learn basketball IQ and decision-making skills through the technology in his company’s programs. The strategy is to target youth players and coaches to create new generations of hoops fans.

The companies will have their products on display at a Summer League business expo at the Mendenhall Center practice building nextdoor to the Thomas & Mack Center Tuesday afternoon.

PSA

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Harmonic’s Hybrid, AI-Powered and Live Sports Streaming Innovations are Key to Elevating Viewing Experiences, Boosting Monetization and Optimizing Costs

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced it will showcase a collection of breakthrough innovations at IBC2025, reinforcing its leadership in video streaming and broadcast delivery. The company will spotlight hybrid cloud and on-premises streaming solutions, powerful AI-driven workflows, innovative ad insertion technologies and groundbreaking advancements in live sports streaming. These transformative solutions enable broadcasters and service providers to elevate viewer engagement, unlock new monetization opportunities and improve operational efficiency across their video infrastructure.

“At IBC2025, Harmonic is excited to highlight innovations designed to help broadcasters, streamers and service providers maximize their investments across their video workflows,” said Gil Rudge, senior vice president, solutions and Americas sales, video business at Harmonic. “Our commitment to pioneering compelling, industry-relevant video solutions that drive the industry forward is empowering broadcasters and service providers to deliver exceptional value to their audiences.”

Increasing Flexibility and Efficiency
Harmonic will showcase state-of-the-art solutions that increase agility and streamline operations:

• Amping up UHD channel density: Harmonic will feature its industry-leading Software Spectrum X media server with double the channel density for UHD workflows, resulting in higher video resolution and outstanding QoE for viewers.
• Enhancing bandwidth efficiency for 5G applications: Harmonic’s advanced video compression technology enables HD video delivery at exceptionally low bitrates over 5G networks leveraging the VVC codec and DVB-NIP standard.
• Leading the charge for hybrid streaming: Harmonic’s approach to hybrid streaming with centralized orchestration allows users to seamlessly take advantage of on-prem and cloud deployments simultaneously for outstanding flexibility and efficiency.
• Simplifying playout: Harmonic’s playout-to-delivery solution available on VOS^®360 Media SaaS for cloud and on VOS Media Software and XOS Advanced Media Processor for on-premises enables operational and cost efficiencies.

Maximizing Every Revenue Opportunity
Harmonic’s advancements empower broadcasters and service providers to maximize their revenue streams:

• Transforming programmatic ad buying: Harmonic will showcase an innovative solution that uses programmatic ad buying efficiencies for linear TV, connecting traditional and digital advertising models.
• Making ads more impactful: Harmonic enables automatic insertion of in-stream ad formats using AI to detect relevant moments in live sports action. These new ad units keep viewers engaged, ensure brand safety and raise CPM values.
• Boosting ad revenues: Powered by AI, Harmonic’s VOS360 Ad SaaS automatically inserts ad breaks in VOD assets and live content enabling monetization of any feed without the need for production crews or manual operations.

Redefining Live Sports Streaming

• Innovating live sports streaming: Harmonic will demonstrate its innovative live sports streaming solution that maximizes monetization, protects sports content against piracy and enhances fan engagement with geosync low latency and advanced multiview capabilities.
• Elevating viewing experiences: Harmonic will show AI-powered features including speech-to-text AI, AI-driven sports clipping for real-time highlight creation and automated translation with voice cloning or over-dubbing in any language.

Fueling Innovation Through Collaboration
Harmonic is partnering with industry leaders to drive innovation for video streaming and broadcast delivery:

• Simplified video deployments: Harmonic solutions are integrated with leading system integrators and managed services providers, including Hexaglobe. Harmonic solutions are also compatible with Arbor Media’s specialized AV software platform.
• Enhanced viewer engagement: Harmonic is collaborating with VisualOn to enable a more immersive video streaming experience through multiview capabilities.
• Efficient video CMS: Harmonic is now fully integrated with ViewLift CMS for streaming premium content within a seamless, integrated ecosystem.

Harmonic and Enghouse Networks Highlight Sports D2C Innovation
At the IBC Show Conference, Alex Paugam, Harmonic’s senior director of business development and global strategic accounts, will join Mick McCluskey, vice president of product management at Enghouse Networks, to highlight the power of collaboration in driving direct-to-consumer sports innovation.

Harmonic will demonstrate its latest innovations at IBC2025, Sept. 12-15, in Amsterdam in stand 1.B20. Further information about Harmonic and the company’s range of products and solutions is available at www.harmonicinc.com.

About Harmonic
Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT), the worldwide leader in virtualized broadband and video delivery solutions, enables media companies and service providers to deliver ultra-high-quality video streaming and broadcast services to consumers globally. The company revolutionized broadband networking via the industry’s first virtualized broadband solution, enabling operators to more flexibly deploy gigabit internet services to consumers’ homes and mobile devices. Whether simplifying OTT video delivery via innovative cloud and software platforms, or powering the delivery of gigabit internet services, Harmonic is changing the way media companies and service providers monetize live and on-demand content on every screen. More information is available at www.harmonicinc.com. 

Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements concerning Harmonic’s business and the anticipated capabilities, advantages, reliability, efficiency, market acceptance, market growth, specifications and benefits of Harmonic products, services and technology are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on our current expectations and beliefs and are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties more fully described in Harmonic’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and its Current Reports on Form 8-K. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Harmonic as of the date hereof, and Harmonic disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Harmonic, the Harmonic logo and other Harmonic marks are owned by Harmonic Inc. or its affiliates. All other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Harmonic Inc.

Elantil is on a mission to streamline the integration process for igaming operators in a bid to enable speedier market entry.

Speaking to iGB’s Ella Williamson at iGB L!VE 2025 in London, Amnon Liebermann, head of distribution channels at Elantil, explains how the company is achieving that goal through its bespoke platform tech.

Liebermann also touches on what we can expect from 2025 and beyond, both from a company and industry perspective.

Watch the video above to see the interview.

* * * * *

You can’t have a discussion about sports technology today without including athletes in that conversation. Their partnerships, investments and endorsements help fuel the space – they have emerged as major stakeholders in the sports tech ecosystem. The Athlete’s Voice series highlights the athletes leading the way and the projects and products they’re putting their influence behind.

* * * * *

Alistair Brownlee is a two-time Olympic champion triathlete, winning gold in the 2012 and 2016 events. He later competed in half-Ironmans, twice earning silver in the world championships at that distance.

Since announcing his retirement last November, the 37-year-old has grown increasingly immersed in business. He co-founded a nutrition brand, TrueFuels, and has invested in more than 20 startups. Brownlee is an associate partner at Redrice Ventures and a member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission who consults on human performance and emerging technologies. He also leads The Brownlee Foundation, the charitable endeavor he started with his Olympic triathlete brother, Jonny.

On the impact of tech in his career . . .

Some technology happens in, let’s call it, a relatively linear progression. But the example of a technology that hasn’t happened in a linear progression is shoe tech, which is incredible. Of course, there were small innovations here and there in shoes, using slightly different forms of rubber soles. Then, all of a sudden, we see a steep change in innovation, with using the light, thicker foam and inserting the carbon rods that we started seeing probably 2018, 2019 and really exploded in 2020 and ’21.

The real innovation in terms of technology, for me, is training attitudes and approaches, which isn’t as sexy and obvious. I saw technological progressions on every form, in terms of attitudes, in terms of the scientific approach to training, in terms of the equipment we’re using, whether that is shoes or bikes. I started out with a bike that was all made of metal and your gear-changing happened very manually, and I went to electric gears with a power meter on a bike that was mostly carbon fiber.

Technological innovation is across all those different domains. In terms of tech, like hardcore tech — wearables and monitoring and having an impact on training — I started out in a world where [there was] a stopwatch and you might use a heart rate monitor as your primary training monitoring devices. I remember, as a 16-year-old, using a heart rate monitor and starting to use the first GPS watches to now where there’s all kinds of training monitoring devices, whether that’s internal — heart rate monitoring, HRV, muscle oxygenation — to external: power meters, GPS watches and bike computers.

On his business interests . . .

I did a finance master’s at university, and so that business approach always interested me. I always had an attitude that I wanted to invest and build value for the long term because I knew that my athletic career won’t last forever, so that was an important aspect to me. Some of my early sponsorship deals had bits of equity in them. So a business like Boardman Bikes, for example, that was a big sponsor of mine from the early days — part of that was an equity deal.

I also had always been interested in businesses that can be a solution to make people perform better in elite sport but also perform better in terms of living healthier, active lifestyles. Obviously, backing great people to make great companies and great solutions is part of the answer. It’s not the whole answer — government plays a role in that, and charities play a role in that — but also great private businesses play a role in that.

On the impact of AI . . .

AI will affect sport in every different domain, as it’ll have an impact on all our lives in every domain. It will affect how people train. It will affect how people integrate data, use data, interact with data, how they’ll use all that information to prescribe their training going forwards, how it will help people understand more and deeper insights in recovery.

In terms of how we engage fans, obviously, there’s going to be massive changes there — engaging fans on a really personal level to watch events and interact with athletes and teams. Whether that’s camera angles or following a particular player or athlete or learning more about them as the events are happening, or learning more about how you can engage in whatever that sport might be, whether it’s badminton or football or triathlon or whatever.

The IOC are looking at it from an organization point of view as well. How can you use that technology to be more efficient? Use energy better, help people get in and out of stadia better.

On co-founding TrueFuels . . .

I was always being fascinated by maximizing human performance, and my [approach to] nutrition probably came out of me developing my own fuels in the last few years to race on was a challenge. I’ve got a feeling that the majority of people for whom a marathon or an Ironman or whatever endurance challenge goes wrong, nutrition is the primary reason for that.

I had this idea of, how do you create a brand that is about helping the consumer to understand what they need, to make sure that nutrition isn’t the limiting factor for the event, whatever the event that they’re doing? The combination of that is product and education and community.

On his role with Redrice . . .

I invested on my own, joined local angel networks and got known to invest in sports businesses. Over the last few years, I only really invested alongside various VC funds, one of those was Redrice. I got to know the team at Redrice over the last couple of years. They’re a consumer VC, but my thesis is that everything is going to become more wellness-based over the next five or 10 years, especially the consumer market. And we see all kinds of evidence of that increasing spend on wellness, especially in the younger demographic who are spending proportionally more on wellness than older people. Health and wellness is becoming a luxury signal.

I started talking about a role with them as they work towards investing more in this space, and we came up with the idea of a sports collective that I’m leading and Andy Murray is a part of it.

Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal, or EOD, technicians will take a new gender- and age-neutral fitness test starting next month, the service has announced, with a medicine ball toss, a powerlift and a dynamic drill with 80-lbs of weight known as the Gruseter.

To qualify for their jobs, EOD troops undergo one of the most rigorous training pipelines in the Air Force, but have long been held only to Air Force-wide physical fitness standards, which are less difficult and account for gender. The new, more difficult Explosive Ordnance Disposal Occupationally Specific Physical Fitness Assessment, or EOD OSPFA, will demand the same passing scores for men and women.

Women make up about 3% of the Air Force EOD career field, said Air Force spokesperson Laurel Falls.

“The assessment was developed using performance data from both EOD and non-EOD airmen,” Falls told Task & Purpose in an email. “The four exercises comprising the EOD OSPFA directly correlate to these (Physical Training SSSS) and an individual’s ability to perform them. All EOD Airmen, regardless of sex and age, will be assessed using the same standards.”

All enlisted airmen and officers in the EOD career field will take the new annual test that involves four events instead of the standard Air Force Physical Fitness Test. The Air Force has been working on the new fitness test for EOD techs since 2015.

The new fitness test for EOD airmen will include four events: A 1,000-meter row; 20-pound medicine ball toss, trap bar lift, and Gruseter drop-roll-lift-run maneuver,  in which airmen wear a 30-pound vest, roll over while carrying a 50-pound sandbag, and then run 15 meters with the sandbag a total of five times.

A July 11 Air Force news release announced that the EOD community had been added to the list of combat arms fields that require “special sex- and age-neutral fitness standards.” As of Monday, the Air Force was working to fix an error with the link to the news release. However, Task & Purpose confirmed with the Air Force that the guidance still stands.

“Since 2015, EOD leadership has been developing a new fitness standard recognizing the career field’s uniquely demanding physical requirements,” Falls said. “EOD technicians require sustained endurance to handle long hours in physically and mentally taxing conditions.”

Over the last year, airmen in the EOD community took an unofficial version of the fitness test, the news release says. After July 31, results will become part of their official record. 

“While EOD operations have always met overall combat arms standards and placed inherently high physical demands on EOD technicians — a fact underscored by the Global War on Terror — EOD airmen were historically held to the same physical fitness standards as the rest of the Air Force,” Falls said. “This meant that even EOD airmen who passed the Air Force Physical Fitness Assessment (PFA) sometimes struggled with the most physically demanding EOD missions.”

As for the new test, the specific events are designed to simulate tasks EOD technicians will likely engage in while involved in active military operations. One core task of EOD techs is to neutralize improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, while wearing bomb disposal suits, which are bulky, hot and can weigh about 50 pounds.

The test’s 1,000-meter row is intended to gauge cardiovascular fitness.

The medicine ball toss is meant to evaluate functional strength for EOD techs who could face tasks like climbing ladders and evacuating casualties.

For the trap bar lift, EOD airmen will have to do five repetitions ranging from 150 to 360 pounds.

The Gruseter drop-roll-lift-run maneuver is meant to simulate small unit operations and moving quickly while carrying heavy equipment in high-stress situations.

The Defense Department first allowed women to serve in ground combat jobs in 2015, when standards for most gr. Earlier this year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a March 30 memo ordering the military services to develop “sex neutral” physical standards for service members in jobs that involve directly participating in combat. 

Officers and enlisted troops in the Air Force’s special warfare jobs — Combat Control, Pararescue, Special Reconnaissance, and Tactical Air Control Party — have had gender- and age-neutral standards since 2015, Falls said. “The Special Warfare and EOD communities remain separate, Falls said.

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Monday, July 14, 2025 | Posted by Liz Ruggiero

Following a US Equestrian-led summit of veterinary professionals earlier this year, the Federation has released a white paper summarizing the group’s recommendations on best practices in sport horse medicine.

In March, 28 veterinarians gathered at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Fla., to review:

• Examinations and preventative health measures
• Injury prevention and management
• Fitness to compete
• Wearable technology/biometrics
• Science-based treatments vs. anecdotal evidence-based treatments, including joint injections, vitamins and minerals, nutrition, homeopathy, and shockwave
• Treatment modalities
• Research priorities

Today, US Equestrian has released a white paper which memorializes the conversation and input from all the veterinarians who attended the gathering. The paper is available here.

“Following the recent USEF Veterinary Summit on Sport Horses, we needed to draft a comprehensive white paper that captures the key discussions, scientific findings, and consensus recommendations from the summit,” said co-author Dr. Tracy Turner, president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. “This document will serve as a resource for advancing equine athlete health and welfare, informing evidence-based policy, and guiding best practices within the sport horse community. We care deeply about these horses we use for sport.

Level of Care

“Every horse, regardless of discipline, merits the level of care we have outlined in the white paper. The well-being of the horse should be the guiding principle in all that we do.”

The authors believe the care and safety of horses is a collective responsibility of veterinarians, trainers, and owners, with veterinarians prioritizing the horse’s health over competitive pressures. The white paper defines fitness to compete, which is understood to refer to a horse’s overall readiness, health status, and freedom from doping.

Veterinarians should work with owners to regularly and thoroughly review horses’ wellness status, using advanced diagnostic tools and biometric systems where appropriate to assess a horse’s fitness to compete.

Overtraining and excessive competition can harm horses’ health, though the appropriate amount of work can vary significantly between horses and situations.

The paper emphasizes the importance of muscle recovery, reiterating that rest is the most effective tool to aid in this area. Other areas of focus include therapeutic treatments, homeopathic treatments, supplements, and vitamins and minerals.

Tools

Veterinarians remind readers that appropriate, individualized and diagnostic-based use of tools like orthobiologics and shockwave can be beneficial when used within Federation guidelines. Readers should also be aware that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not regulate homeopathic products or dietary supplements, and there is limited scientific evidence to support the use of many of these treatments.

The paper’s authors encourage future research in the following areas:

• Competition numbers: how frequently horses are entered in shows and how often they compete, compared alongside demographics such as age, competitive success, and injury history. They also suggest researching longevity at various levels of competition compared with frequency of competition
• Appropriate nutrition options to limit the need for post-competition “muscle recovery” treatments
• Evaluation of potential “recovery” biomarkers to assess appropriate treatments to aid in recovery
• Evaluation of wearable technology to evaluate fitness and preparation (already being done in eventing), as well as impacts of pollution, heat, and shipping
• Detection of shockwave biomarkers

If you are interested in supporting these research efforts, please consider making a donation to the Chromatic Fund, a collaborative initiative of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, US Equestrian (USEF), KC Branscomb (breeder of the horse Chromatic), and The Foundation for The Horse. The Chromatic Fund will fund innovative research and education initiatives designed to improve the health and welfare of performance sport horses. For more information go to www.usef.org/donate, and select “The Chromatic Fund” in the dropdown menu.